You and I
by AnneKate
Summary: In order to find the right partner for life, they decide to take desperate measures! Elizabeth Bennet/William Darcy Chapter 2 is up, Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: So you see, I was doing my homework and I got this idea in my brain for this story. If I get 7 reviews (positive ones), then I shall write the story. ( 7 is my lucky number!). This is not a chapter, It is only the beginning. If I will get at least 7 reviews, then I will post the first chapter next week together with Vanity vs. Love. Also, "All rights for this story are reserved!"

"You and I"

_Introduction….._

-"My parents have put a condition for me to inherit the company!" said William Darcy as he stared out the window.

-"And what is it?" asked Charles sipping his coffee calmly.

-"I have to marry and settle down" William ran his hand through his hair in desperate attempt to calm himself.

-"So easy!" chuckled Charles.

-"Charles, I see no humor whatsoever" William paced around the room.

-"Why not?! It is not like your parents are asking you to climb the Mount Everest. Finding a wife is much easier, believe me!" said Bingley trying to calm his friend.

-"I only have gold diggers around me, I certainly do not want to marry one of them. Silly as it sounds, I want to find _the one_. Someone, who is not after my money" William said earnestly.

-"Well then you shall pretend to be poor if you want to find _the real one_ as you say" exclaimed Bingley.

Darcy thought for a moment and it did not seem to be such a bad idea after all. Pretending to be poor could filter out the unwanted gold-diggers.

-"How?" asked William trying to paint the picture in his head.

-"Pretend to be a recent college graduate who is struggling to find a job and has a student debt! If a girl really likes you, then she will stay with you despite your financial situation."

-"But what if when the times comes to propose to her and she finds out the truth about my background?"

-"Good God Darcy, then you will be a complete package for her, simple as that!" exclaimed Charles.

-"Will it work?"

-"Trust me on this one" said Charles, sure of his plan.

On the other side of the city, a similar conversation was unfolding.

"My parents are expecting me to marry, Charlotte, what am I supposed to do?" said Elizabeth pacing around her bedroom.

"Well, then you shall follow your parents orders and find the right guy" responded Charlotte calmly sipping her tea.

"Yes, and that is the problem, '_the right guy_.' How on earth am I supposed to find him?! There are many men who are waiting in line after my money. You know, I rather not marry, and live the rest of my life alone" said Lizzy restlessly.

"How about if you pretend to be poor?" The light bulb began to light in Charlotte's brain.

"Me? Poor? But I am not poor at all!"

"Lizzy, just pretend to be poor to make sure that a guy likes you for yourself and not for your money and inheritance."

"But, if I do find _the one _with your plan, wouldn't it be lying to him about my background?!" Lizzy circled around the room.

"Goodness Lizzy, you will tell him the truth when you will be certain that he truly likes you and that he is the husband material. Simple as that!"

"Dear, Charlotte, what I would've done without you?!" Lizzy hugged her best friend happily.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Here it is! I'll update this weekly, if possible. Please review or criticize! Also, there's one thing, I never edit or review my work, so you may find many mistakes! Also, English is not my first language, but I'm here to improve it! (All rights reserved 2014).

You and I

-"And if we fail?" said William once more, unsure of their plan.

-"Even if we do fail, there are plenty of girls who are just waiting for you in their net," joked Charles earning himself a pillow in the face by William.

-"I will trust you on this one. What do I have to do? Where I'm going to find the girl?" began William impatiently.

-"Good God Darcy, I know you are smart and all, but when it comes to dating and women, you don't even belong in the beginner's category. Leave it all up to me" Charles was confident in his plan.

-"And that worries me the most!" whispered William looking out the window.

-"Hm? You said something?"

-"No nothing. When shall we begin?"

-"Be patient, I will come up with a plan by tomorrow. Go home and rest" said Charles calmly opening his computer.

William sighed once more before leaving him to work.

The drive home was filled with many thoughts. William thought about what he has been doing so far in his life and how he found himself in this situation where he does not know anything about women and marriage. And he absolutely had no idea about the criteria that he must follow to choose a wife. He was not romantic by nature and did not believe in superstitions such as '_love at first sight'_. What he wanted and desired the most was the management of the company that he would get upon completion of this work. _Killing two birds with one arrow_. Yes, at the end of the day he would be married with a wife and he would have the management of the company. Not a bad idea, but the question was who would he end up marrying?!

-"Wife" he repeated for few times. Of course she has to be smart, educated, at least average looking and have some charm in her to convince her parents. But the chances of finding such a wife while pretending to be poor was like finding a needle in a haystack. _Well, Charles will take care of it_, he thought as he opened the door to his room and like a log stick threw himself on the bed.

-"As far as I know you do not have any standards or ideal types right?" asked Charlotte her friend who was busy with work.

-"Nope, not really. But he has to pass my parent's standards" replied Elizabeth who was working at her desk.

-"I wouldn't call them standards, more like an interrogation of the acutest kind!" They laughed heartedly.

-"I remember my dad telling that 'all men are bastards except Daddy.' So, I don't think they will accept him that easily, especially Daddy. So, I guess, by my parent's standards, he has to be educated, smart, and have striking manners that could impress them. And myself!" noted Elizabeth who was still busy with her paperwork.

-"You should also add good-looking!" added Charlotte who began to put her plan together.

-"That would be a plus indeed! But I don't want him to be too good-looking. You know I don't like narcissistic type of people."

-"I know that too well! Remember that guy, what was his name?! Oh, I remember Wickham, George Wickham! He asked you out and you turned him down cruelly!"

-"I would not call it _cruelly_," Elizabeth defended herself.

-"I wonder how you define 'cruelly'! You turned him down in front of everyone and said that you hated narcissistic people and hated people who are too into themselves," Charlotte laughed uncontrollably.

-"Well…What was I supposed to do?! You knew him as well. That guy should've married a mirror because he just couldn't get enough of himself" Elizabeth said while looking at her friend who was still busy laughing. She shook her head and sighed.

Charlotte had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. Her friend was a workaholic with no question, but when it came to men and dating; Lizzy needed a huge help.

-"Oh Lizzy. I will add that to our list; not too good looking and no narcissist. Is there anything else you want?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment and with much enthusiasm replied,

-"Men who look good wearing a white t-shirt" Elizabeth giggled like a little girl.

-"Oh Lizzy, we made this whole list, and now we need to search for that one person!"

Lizzy smiled widely and began to pack her papers.

-"I trust you my dear Charlotte and hope that you will find me a husband material. Just let me know when to sign those marriage papers" She kissed Charlotte's cheek and left.

-"Now, where shall I start?" sighed Charlotte.

Later in the evening, Elizabeth arrived at her home, weary from work. But much to her dismay, she was called by her mother.

-"Lizzy, dear, do you remember Aunt Anne?"

-"A little, I only met her when I was small" Elizabeth sat down tiredly.

-"Yes, yes, you met her when you were small. So, you see dear, Aunt Anne has a son, who is a bachelor and their background is very suitable to ours. Perhaps you should meet him once?" said Mrs. Bennet wanting to hear a favorable answer. In her eyes, Anne's son was a perfect option for her daughter.

-"No! I refuse!" replied Elizabeth decidedly knowing that she could not leave her marriage to her mother.

-"But why? Aunt Anne and I would be very much happy if two of you would get together and marry"

-"Mama! Please! I will find my own husband and that is the final. Besides from what I heard, Aunt Anne's son is cold, arrogant, selfish and conceited!" replied Lizzy trying to close the conversation.

-"Have you met him in person?" asked Mrs. Bennet worriedly.

-"No"

-"Then how on earth would you know about him?"

-"I…I heard from people" said Lizzy quickly trying to cover up for her slip of a tongue.

-"I have a picture of him, he is quite handsome. Just take a look at it, Lizzy!" As Mrs. Bennet tried to find the picture from her drawer, Lizzy quietly slipped out of the room and ran. She was caught later during the dinner.

-"Mr. Bennet you must tell Lizzy to meet Anne's son. She would not even take a look at the picture of him"

-"But Papa, I don't want to" said Elizabeth trying to convince him.

Mr. Bennet who was trapped between his wife and daughter, tried to look at the situation fairly.

-"Sweetheart, you could just take a look at the picture and your mother will be satisfied."

-"But Papa, I…I already have a boyfriend!" blurted out Lizzy, she later realized that she had dug her own grave.

Mrs. Bennet squealed with joy while Mr. Bennet choked on his food.

-"You have _what_?" asked Mr. Bennet while holding his knife sharply.

-"A boyfriend" repeated Lizzy quietly.

-"What kind of bastard is he?" Mr. Bennet could already feel his blood pressure going higher.

-"Daddy! He is a very good sort of man" Elizabeth could barely swallow. _Lies, lies, lies_.

-"But you never told us about him!"

-"I only met him recently" Elizabeth could already feel her hands trembling.

-"And?" pressed Mr. Bennet for more explanation as dark aura howled over him.

-"And…" Elizabeth gulped. "And I like him very much" she finished quickly and waited for their reactions. And it was a disaster that she had expected.

-"Hill, Hill bring a calming medicine, Mr. Bennet is unwell. Quickly Hill!" shouted Mrs. Bennet for their maid.

Mr. Bennet slowly opened his eyes and turned to his daughter,

-"Lizzy, you only like daddy right? Right?" asked Mr. Bennet while clasping his daughter's hands.

-"Oh God Mr. Bennet, because of you, Lizzy has turned into a workaholic! At this rate she might end up an old maid!" cried his wife impatiently.

-"Papa, Mama, I already have a boyfriend and I intend to marry him! So, please stop bringing up other man! I do not wish to see anybody else!" Lizzy stood up with her trembling knees and left the room. Her parents were left speechless by this confession.

She returned to her room and threw herself on her bed.

-"I'm such a fool! Fool, fool" she buried her face in her pillow and screamed.

-"What am I going to do now!" She decided to call Charlotte and tell her to speed things up so she could have a boyfriend and a fiancée by the end of the month. Soon, sleep overtook her and she peacefully fell asleep.

-"Lizzy, Lizzy wake up! We have a lot to do today! Lizzy"…..

I'll continue it tomorrow! I promise they will meet tomorrow!


	3. And they met!

Reader's Notes: These days, I feel like a hollow shell. One advice for all of you, don't take summer quarter! I know, that I promised that I would release a chapter every week, but it doesn't seem possible with school. But, I will try my best in any case! Also, for the other stories; I only have two weeks left of school, once I'm done, I will restart them again. For now enjoy, and they finally meet! Lastly, I don't edit my writing, so it probably has a LOT OF MISTAKES, feel free to point out. Review and enjoy!

Chapter 2

-"Lizzy, Lizzy wake up! We have a lot to do today! Lizzy" struggled Charlotte.

At last the heavy sleeper woke up, but it took her few minutes to process that the person who woke her up was Charlotte.

Lizzy sat up tiredly and looked at her clock.

-"Charlotte, dear, what are you doing here?"

Charlotte shook her head disapprovingly.

-"Trying to fix what you started! Your mother caught me on my way to your room, and tried to get info about your imaginary boyfriend!" said Charlotte as she began open the curtains.

The reality hit Lizzy like a lightning.

-"Tell me what I have to do? I'll do anything"

-"Feeling guilty I suppose?! Oh no worries, I have everything under control. First we must get you ready for our first hunting"

-"Uhm…did you say hunting?!"

-"Yes my dear, hunting. You know potential husbands don't grow on trees?!" replied Charlotte and turned to retrieve bags that she had brought with her.

-"Yes, but where will we go?"

-"Don't worry about that. You should change first; I brought your clothes."

-"Clothes?" repeated Lizzy confusingly.

-"Lizzy, you are not planning to wear your own clothes are you?! Even a fool might be able to tell that you are not from a poor family! I did my research and bought you some doable clothes from Wallmart."

Lizzy looked at her own wardrobe and realized that her own clothes were no way near the category of a poor college graduate.

-"Of course, thank you!" She took the clothes and eyed them for a second before turning back to Charlotte.

-"You think it will be believable?"

-"Trust me. I did my research!" Charlotte nodded confidently.

Half an hour later, Lizzy was all ready for her first hunting.

They kept her visuals simple, straight blue jeans, paired with plain black t-shirt and a ponytail that completed her looks.

-"Voila!" said Charlotte proud of her work.

-"Yep, nobody will recognize me!"

-"Except your parents, which reminds me that we should leave quietly as possible. If your mother sees you wearing this, she will have a heart attack! Come, we should leave now!" said Charlotte. She peeked through the hallway to see if it was empty for them to leave.

-"Will you be driving or should I take my car?" whispered Lizzy cautiously.

-"Lizzy! We will take the bus!"

-"The bus?" repeated Lizzy surprised.

-"Yes, yes the bus! Remember, you are poor!"

-"Ah" was the only sound Lizzy could make out at the moment.

They slipped out of the house like thieves and walked for more than 20 minutes to reach the nearest bus stop. The blissful Sunday morning seemed like a perfect day to catch a boyfriend. The bus arrived few minutes later and it was empty for them to choose any seat. Charlotte paid for her friend and they seated themselves at the back seat.

-"This is for you" Charlotte stretched her hand towards Lizzy.

-"A card?" Lizzy took a look at it, but wondered about what it was.

-"An orca card to be sure. From now on you may need to ride the bus often. I don't want you to stay at the entrance of the bus and then give a 100 dollar bill because you don't have a change."

-"Ah, of course. Thank you!" Lizzy smiled. First time riding the bus made her feel thrilled about this whole situation.

They both got off the bus few minutes later. It took them few minutes more to arrive at a family park with a small beach. Charlotte inspected the area with few glances and led her friend toward a bench.

-"Shall we begin?" asked Charlotte with a serious tone while taking some papers out of her bag.

-"Ehm, Charlotte you're scaring me. Your tone feels like we came here to plot a rebellion over a monarchy" laughed Lizzy.

-"You know very well that it is a no small matter right? Especially after the lies that you've told your parents yesterday" remarked Charlotte lightly.

Lizzy nodded guiltily.

-"I stayed up the whole night to work on this plan. If it is executed properly, we will be able to find you a boyfriend in 24 hours. And in less than six months, you will be married." Charlotte looked over at her friend to see if she was following, but caught her in the process of playing with a lady bug.

-"Lizzy!" Charlotte called out her friend to chastise her.

-"Leave the poor insect alone!"

Lizzy stood up from her position and walked towards the bushes. She gently placed the lady bug on one of the leaves, bid her goodbye and retook her seat next to Charlotte again.

-"Good!" Charlotte glared at her friend and continued with her plan.

-"This area has a lot of people during the weekends. I researched it's one of the popular places in the area. We will easily find few options and then you can choose from there."

-"Ok"

-"When we find the one, don't let him know your last name. It will be better for him not to know anything about your background, so you can keep this camouflage for longer."

Lizzy believed in her friend, but this was too much. She wanted nothing more than just to sleep on weekends. Catching guys?! Nope, this was not her at all. She turned to find other options and realized that there were none. She had herself created this mess and Charlotte was simply helping her to get out of it. She spread her legs and leaned against the bench. This was going to be a long day. Perhaps it wasn't that bad at all. _Just think of it as fishing_, she told herself. _Wait until the prey gets caught in the hook. Easy as that,_ she smiled to herself. But…there was no bait. She shook her head to get rid of her complicated thoughts. _Let's just follow Charlotte's orders_, she thought and looked over at her friend who was busy with observing the area with her binocular.

-"Charlotte, we're not here on a secret mission, right? You look equipped" Lizzy commented amusingly.

-"Lizzy, concentrate! Someone might pop up!" Charlotte continued to monitor the area despite her friend's remarks.

-"Charlotte, men are not mushrooms that just pop up after rain!" this whole situation seemed ridiculously funny to Lizzy.

More than half an hour passed with nothing. Lizzy kept dozing off while Charlotte kept the area under her full surveillance.

…

-"Bingley, what are you doing here so early?" asked William leaning against his front door.

Charles shoved the packets he brought to his friend and went inside casually.

-"We're going out. Wear it!"

-"To where?" William closed the door and joined his friend on the couch.

-"What do you mean where? To find you a wife! You workaholic don't have a work today, do you?" asked Charles as he stood up to pour himself a cup of coffee.

-"No, I don't. But, now that I think about it, I was probably not in my right mind when I asked you for help" remarked William nonchalantly.

Charles almost burned his mouth with a hot coffee.

-"And why is that?"

-"Think about it. Me, asking a help from a player on such a matter, doesn't make any sense, does it?" replied William.

-"Discriminating against players, huh? Then you should know that players have their own principles and values as well." Charles answered innocently.

-"Yeah, right! And how am I supposed to trust the matters of my potential marriage to you?!"

Charles glared at his friend a bit longer, but lost the fight. Instead, he took another route of attack.

-"Being a player is better than being a workaholic who spends his days and nights working?!" remarked Charles feeling good about protecting the honor of his fellow players.

William let out a long sigh. He couldn't deny it this time. _When was the last time he went on a date with a girl?_ He shook his head, he had far more important things to take care of.

-"How about this? Give me a month. If by the end of the month, you won't find yourself a potential partner, then I will acknowledge that my skills have deteriorated" Charles approached his friend and offered his hand.

-"We'll see. So, where are we going today?" William returned his hand. It didn't seem so appealing to trust his friend, taking into consideration that he was a player. But, he still needed to find a partner, sooner the better!

-"We, my friend are going to a park. It's always rich of pretty girls" stated Charles happily.

-"You astonish me Bingley!"

-"I know, I do. Now, get ready!"

William let out a yearlong sigh again. This seemed like a bad idea after all! He took the packet and inspected its content.

-"Clothes?"

-"Of course, you were not planning to wear your suit, were you? No need to thank me!" waved off Charles.

-"_It was a bad idea after all_" mumbled William.

He came out after few minutes.

-"Woah, I guess clothes do change a person. Everything is good except your hair, it looks _too fine!_ Also, it would be better not to shave for few days" exclaimed Charles as he circled his friend.

-"Me, being an unemployed college graduate doesn't mean that I should be unhygienic" spoke William as he looked at himself in the mirror. If his employees saw him in such clothes, they probably will have something to talk about for a week. _God, don't let them see me in such a state!_

For a moment, he himself could not believe that he was doing this. He repeatedly kept telling himself that it was all for the sake of inheritance. And Charles was also equipped with a used car. He had promised his friend that he would follow his lead at least for a month, so be it.

They arrived at a park with a small beach. After parking, they got out of the car. William surveyed the area.

-"I don't see a single female figure, how about you Charles?" said he mockingly as he saw that the park was empty.

-"But, it's usually full of pretty girls at this time, I don't know what's wrong today." Charles knew that dark clouds were beginning to form on his friend's head and sooner it would be the death of him. To fix the situation, he offered to take a little walk around the park. Perhaps someone might appear out of the blue.

…

-"Charlotte, at this rate, I might starve to death, before I find a boyfriend" said Lizzy who had found a new ladybug to play with.

-"Alright, let's go! Next time I'll find you a man!" replied Charlotte assuredly.

They began to walk back, when a man wearing a hoody appeared before them. He stopped them on their track and demanded their bags. Charlotte was not afraid for herself or her friend, so she gently told the man;

-"I believe it is best for you to leave quietly!"

The man took out what appeared to be a pocket knife and began to threaten them.

-"Shut up and give me your bags"

Lizzy's blood boiled with this whole situation: first of all she was hungry, sleepy, with no catch for today and the nerve of this thief to appear at such a time.

-"Drop the knife" she ordered the thief calmly. When it didn't work, she began to attack him.

First she kicked him on his vital region and then disarmed him with a punch on his face. She kicked away the knife towards Charlotte and pushed the burglar against the ground. She couldn't stop herself from feeling angry and this man had appeared at a wrong time.

-"It's not a good thing to make me mad when I'm hungry!" She kept punching him repeatedly. Charlotte who was standing there tried to stop her friend.

-"Lizzy, you might kill him!"

For a moment Lizzy was distracted by her friend and the burglar used the situation to run off, already sorry for his life.

Lizzy sighed and stood up.

-"Did I go too far? I don't feel sorry for him though. He must have learned not to mess with people whenever he pleases" said she as she stood up and shook off the dirt from her jeans.

-"The last time this kind of thing happened, you sent the thief to the hospital, not to the police station" smiled Charlotte. She took the knife carefully from the ground to preserve the finger prints, so she could later report him to the police.

….

From the other end of the park, William and Charles had seen two females who were approached by a man. But by the time they got there to help them, the burglar was gone.

-"Are you ladies alright?" said Charles as he barely caught his breath from running. He knew well that they were alright, it was the burglar who was probably not alright after that knockout by the brunette. But this was their only chance in an empty park.

William on the other hand was amused. As they got closer to them, he could clearly see the face of the woman who beat the crap out of that man. _Good skills_, he thought, _if she could knock down a man who was twice her size._

-"Yes, we are thank you" replied Charlotte first. Her eyes finally twinkled with delight_. Finally, where were you all along?_ She thought. She glanced over at Lizzy to see her reaction, but she had none. _She's too hungry to even notice men!_

Lizzy had noticed them and knew that it should be success, considering they had waited for more than two hours for some kind of male to appear. But she was too hungry and her stomach kept bugging her with sounds. She looked over at them carefully, the blond one looked like a player and the second one….was staring right at her. She met his eyes confidently, and felt as if she was playing a staring contest with him while Charlotte was speaking with the blond guy. Her stomach made a noise again, so she took Charlotte by her hand and led her away from them.

William smiled unknowingly as he watched the back of her retreating figure. _She's something_…

Author's Notes: And so they met! It's a bit corny, isn't it?! During the next Chapter you will see more interaction between them. Any suggestions are welcome, if you don't like something tell me! Review! Thanks!


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